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Irish troops to Liberia is positive neutrality in action under the UN

12 November, 2003

Speaking during a debate on the deployment of Irish troops to Liberia Sinn
Féin spokesperson on International Affairs and Defence, Aengus Ó
Snodaigh, said the motion to send the troops was "in keeping with
Sinn Féin's commitment to positive neutrality in action". He also
called for the UN to be reformed and strengthened. Deputy Ó Snodaigh said:

"The Government originally planned to take this motion without debate.
I am glad they have since recognised that any decision to deploy Irish
troops in the service of international peace deserves proper time for both
debate and solemn reflection in the House. We have the duty not to take
such decisions lightly and not to play toy soldiers with the lives of our
citizens.

"I welcomed the establishment in September of the UN Peacekeeping
Mission in Liberia. I understand that its role is to monitor compliance
with the Accra Peace Accord signed by Liberian Government, Movement for
Democracy in Liberia and Liberians United for Reconciliation and
Democracy in August of this year, and to support the Liberian Peace
Process which has the potential to end more than 15 years of continuous
conflict in Liberia and contribute positively to stabilisation of the region.

"In Liberia the Irish Defence Forces will be serving as UN troops
with olleagues from Nigeria, Kenya and Bangladesh, and under West African
command. Since UNMIL was deployed on October 1 good progress has been
made. It has already succeeded in establishing a National
Transitional Government and the disarmament process has also begun: the
capital Monrovia is now a weapons-free zone. This initial progress is
welcome, and I hope it will continue apace. "In keeping with Sinn Féin's
commitment to positive neutrality in action, Sinn Féin supports this motion
and Irish participation in the UN-led force UNMIL. We take this position
having full regard to the available facts and to the
potential dangers to the people who will make up the Irish contingent.
On behalf of my party I would express our appreciation to the men and
women who will be representing Ireland by serving in Liberia. It
is a worthwhile endeavour in which they have the full support of the
Irish people. It is intended that the troops depart for Monrovia very
soon, on November 19. I wish these volunteers every success in their
mission, and that each one of them will return safely home to this island.

One thing that sets this peacekeeping mission apart from many others at
present and what further commends it for our support is the very fact of it
being UN-led, not merely UN-mandated or UN-authorised, but UN-led.
Such a mission is increasingly rare and worthy of strong support in
principle. Sinn Féin would prefer to see a situation where the
UN is reformed and strengthened and given the support it deserves so that
so-called outsourcing of peacekeeping operations to regional military
alliances such as the EU Rapid Reaction Force and NATO will end.

"Sinn Féin remains committed to this vision. We all must redouble our
efforts to make the UN system work in the way it was intended, and not
accept its gradual sidelining and marginalisation in favour of less
inclusive and more elitist multilateral organisations such as the EU
or NATO. The UN must have the capacity to play a more
vigorous role - particularly in the prevention of genocide,
which is really the ultimate duty of the international community
acting as one. But the UN is suffering the death of a thousand cuts. The
fact that the UN is so often now prevented from taking up its
rightful role represents a totally unacceptable situation about
which many in the international community - including
the Irish Government and others in this House - have grown
complacent. The progressive marginalisation of the UN has surely fed
the resurgent unilateralism that so appals us in the Iraq case. Let
all of us also commit to heed the call of the UN Secretary General and help
lead the campaign for UN reform and capacity-building, a campaign that has
been far too long in coming." ENDS